A Hole in Me
by LastCorsair
Summary: Every day in Weiss Schnee's life is the same, day upon day. And then everything changed.
1. Chapter 1

Willow sighed as she watched her daughter eating her breakfast over the rim of her coffee cup. Weiss ate with quick, precise motions, barely bothering to taste her food. She really wished Weiss would slow down and _enjoy_ her food, but she might as well ask for the moon to be made whole again, Willow supposed. Right, time to try engaging her daughter in conversation. Doctor Goodwitch had been very firm about socialization being important for Weiss, more so that for most people. "So, what do you have planned for today, Weiss?"

Weiss's tone was flat as she answered, "I have my checkup with Doctor Langdon this afternoon. Other than that, I have no plans for today."

Willow grimaced, then pushed herself away from the table, gliding over to Weiss. "Come on, Weiss, you have to try. Nothing says you can't live a normal life. Meet someone who thinks you're special, have a family. You can't stay locked up in the house your whole life. You have to try."

"The odds of someone with my condition getting married are one in twenty. Of those that marry, only one in ten does not divorce within ten years. Very few of the successful marriages result in children. Shall I continue?" Weiss didn't stop eating while reciting the statistics both of them already knew, the knife and fork flashing in her long, slender fingers as she cut her omelet into bite-size chunks.

"I know, but…" Willow sighed. "You can't blame me for holding out hope for you. I just don't want you to be lonely after I'm gone."

"I won't be. After your passing, Winter will be my legal guardian, given my condition. She has made many attempts to make me feel 'normal' as have you. I am fine, mother. I will always be… fine."

Willow's heart skipped a beat at the catch in Weiss's voice. Maybe… "Why don't you go shopping today, Weiss? It's been a while since you went shopping by yourself."

"That is true. How much do you want me to purchase?"

Ah, this game again. 'What do I have to do to get you to leave me alone?' "At least… three full outfits. And no cheating and buying identical outfits. Different colors, different styles, you know what I mean. I'd like to see some variety in your wardrobe."

Weiss's hands spread wide, taking in the white dress and bolero she wore. "This is fine."

"Weiss, you wear almost the same thing every day. It's not normal."

"Mother, I am not normal, and I never will be. I accepted that fact a long time ago, and you need to as well."

* * *

Weiss's expression was neutral as she perused the racks of clothing. Her mother had set her a challenge today, finding three outfits that didn't look anything alike. Was it wrong that Weiss had found a style she felt suited her and didn't feel any inclination to vary from it? Weiss didn't think so. Still, it wouldn't do any harm to make her mother happy. Ah, this might please her mother. Weiss pulled out a midnight blue top that would go well with a pair of black jeans she'd seen a few minutes ago. She was about to pull the jeans off the rack when she heard a familiar voice. "Hello, Weiss."

Weiss forced a smile as she turned to meet here fellow traveler in tedium. "Hello, Cinder. How are you today?"

"I am fine. What are you doing?"

"Mother-mandated shopping. You?"

"The same. What did yours task you with?"

"Three outfits, not identical. She demands variety in my wardrobe."

Cinder nodded in understanding. "One outfit for everyday wear, and a dress suitable for a social occasion next weekend. She says I may be allowed more freedom if the dress is suitable enough."

Weiss returned Cinder's nod. While Weiss's mother was always encouraging her to get out and do things, Cinder's kept her a virtual prisoner in their house, out of shame or maybe regret.

The two of them chatted for a while, practicing on each other until Weiss's phone chimed. It was a text message from her mother. _Why don't you try getting a snack somewhere you_ _haven't eaten before?_ Weiss had to admit she was a little hungry, but did her mother have to keep pushing her to try new things? She sighed. Fine. Weiss opened up the map on her phone, looking for a suitable location nearby. Ah, there was a new coffee shop nearby, Beacon Coffee. Weiss said goodbye to Cinder and headed off, the two outfits she'd already picked out and the midnight blue top in her tucked in a shopping bag dangling from her left hand.

Inside, Beacon Coffee was bustling, the two women behind the counter dancing around each other in an intricate whirl, serving up a variety of hot, caffeinated beverages with speed and precision. Something about the blonde woman caught Weiss's eye, and she watched her for a moment before realizing the woman's right arm was missing above the elbow. Somehow she had adapted so perfectly that it was almost art.

"Your order, ma'am?"

Weiss blinked. She'd been so caught up in watching the blonde woman prepare drinks that she'd reached the head of the line without even realizing it. "Large mocha, with whipped cream, and… one of those blueberry muffins, please." The coffee was her standard order, most places could prepare it without any fuss. The muffin was a random selection, her mother would appreciate that.

The raven-haired woman nodded. "Got it." She glanced at the blonde woman and voice dropped to a whisper. "Her name's Yang, and she's not seeing anyone right now if that's what you're wondering."

"I, I wasn't-"

"Ah, sorry." Weiss stepped to one side to wait for her coffee, puzzled. Had 'Blake' (as her nametag read) thought Weiss was interested in Yang? Weiss hadn't really ever been interested in anyone, was this what it felt like? Something was bothering Weiss, and she wasn't sure what it was, which bothered her even more.

"Weiss!" The blonde woman was holding up her coffee, a bright, smiling grin on her face. "Here you go, and let me get you that muffin," she said, holding the cup out to Weiss.

Their hands brushed for a moment as Weiss took her mocha, and something went _**snap**_ inside her head. She staggered back, her head reeling, the coffee hitting the floor, brown liquid spreading unnoticed across the tiles. "Are you okay?" Yang asked just as Weiss said, "I feel odd."

Weiss stumbled again, the sensations in her head pushing her mind this way and that. "Make it stop, make it stop, make it STOP!" she yelled, Yang and Blake both coming around the counter toward her.

"Do you need us to call an ambulance?" Blake asked, eyes flicking back to Yang before snapping back to Weiss.

"That might… that might..." Weiss stammered before her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed to the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

Weiss's eyes flickered open, her head feeling like someone had filled it with a mix of chili peppers, firecrackers, and wool. Wait, that didn't make any sense, but metaphors never really did to her. Above her she could see an unfamiliar ceiling, a _beep-beep-beep_ coming from her left, a general hustle and bustle filling her ears. A shiver ran down her spine. She was quite aware that waking up somewhere you didn't remember falling asleep had a good chance of being a Bad Thing.

More urgent beeping came from somewhere else, somewhere beyond the hideous green curtain she could see at the edge of her vision, and all of a sudden there was yelling and running, words being thrown around that sounded vaguely medical. It was all too much for her, and before she knew it, Weiss found herself screaming, "Can you all please just shut the hell up?!"

The curtain jerked back, and a harried-looking nurse came in. "Sorry, Miss… Schnee," she added, glancing at Weiss's chart. "It's a bit busy in here right now, and we didn't realize you were awake. You're lucky we've got a bed for you at the moment; we had a three-car pile-up literally just up the street."

"It's fine." Weiss was vaguely aware it _wasn't_ 'fine' by any definition of the word, but it seemed like the best thing to say. "Where am I, how did I get here?"

The nurse bit her lip, looking Weiss over before continuing. "You're in the emergency room at Vale General. You passed out in a coffee shop." She kept scanning Weiss's chart, debating what to say next. "Miss Schnee, it says here you were wearing a medical bracelet, saying you're apsychic, is that correct?"

Weiss sighed. People always started acting odd when they found out. "Yes, I am a high-functioning apsychic. Why do you ask? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. One of the monitors is just malfunctioning, that's all." The nurse left and came back with (presumably) a monitor on a wrist cuff. She placed it on Weiss's wrist, frowned at the reading, attached it to Weiss's other wrist and frowned again. Then the nurse went and got _another_ monitor, repeating the process.

Weiss's hands clenched without her asking them to, the blankets bunching up in her fists. "What-what's wrong?" she stammered. Dammit, what was wrong with her? Her heart was racing, her breathing was rapid and shallow, something was _wrong._

"I, I'm not sure," the nurse answered. She left and Weiss could hear a hushed conversation outside the curtain. The words were just below her hearing, but she caught the words "Three different monitors? That's, that's highly unlikely."

"I know, doctor, but the alternative is impossible."

The curtain pulled back, and a smiling man who didn't seem much older than Weiss stepped in, the nurse right behind. "Hello, Weiss, I'm Doctor Statham, how are we today?" he asked, picking up her chart and giving it his own look-over.

"What's impossible?"

"Excuse me?" Doctor Statham looked up from her chart, his eyes focused on her face.

"I heard the two of you talking outside. You were saying something was impossible. I am classified as a category two apsychic, thus I am legally considered to have a level of mental competence equivalent to a normal teenager." Weiss' voice started out trembling, but go louder and more shrill as she spoke. "So I believe I am mentally qualified to be told whatever the hell it is you're hiding from me, and I'd like to know _right fucking now!"_

The doctor tilted his head at the nurse, who nodded and left. "Miss Schnee, the defining diagnostic characteristic of apsychia is a lack of any measurable aura-"

"Yes, I know, I've lived with it my whole life," Weiss snapped. "Get on with it."

"Miss Schnee, we're getting an aura reading from you. Both from your bedside monitor and two different monitors. It's low, below the normal range, but it's there. And it's rising."

She could have sworn her heart skipped a beat. "That-that's impossible, apsychia doesn't just 'go away,' there's no cure, none of that."

Doctor Statham turned the monitor stand next to her bed so Weiss could see it. "I don't have an explanation for you, right now I just know what I see on the monitor."

Weiss knew how to read an aura monitor. She'd certainly spent enough time connected to one, all things considered. She was well aware of what the numbers for a normal person's aura looked like on the monitor and her own. Seeing the yellow numbers on the monitor, instead of the scarlet '000' that had always been there set her heart racing even faster. "If this is some sort of joke on your part, this is decidedly not amusing. My mother will undoubtedly sue; I would advise you to find a good lawyer."

"It's not a joke, Miss Schnee, and three different monitors all giving us a reading says to me that something odd is happening. You mentioned your mother, is she your legal guardian? We're going to need to speak with her, as well as your regular doctor."

She was staring at the aura monitor, transfixed by those golden numbers, unable to believe the evidence before her own eyes. It blipped, the numbers rising just a little, and Weiss could feel the corners of her mouth turn up, just a little. Was this a smile? Was the warmth she could feel dissipating the chill suffusing her body happiness? She started to reach toward the monitor just as it blipped again, and Weiss felt the warmth falter a bit when the numbers didn't rise in response.

"Miss Schnee, we really need to-"

The warmth vanished in an instant, replaced by a burning, snarling sensation. She spun around, grabbing some piece of medical equipment she couldn't have named and hurled it at Doctor Statham, screaming "Leave me alone!" He ducked, the improvised missile crashing into the wall. "Miss Schnee, I'm going to need you to calm down-"

"I don't want to calm down! For the first time ever, I'm not fine! Leave me alone!" A pair of nurses came in, one of them holding a hypospray. "No, no, no,!" she yelled. "You're not injecting me with anything!" Weiss looked left and right, searching for more things to hurl at them, finally toppling the monitor stand in their way while she rolled off the bed in the other direction, backing into the corner, eyes darting right and left as she sought escape.

Dr. Statham raised his hands placatingly, the hypospray still clutched in his hand. "Please relax, Miss Schnee. All that's in here is a mild sedative, something to help you stay calm. Nobody's ever been through what you're going through right now, so I'm really worried about giving you anything stronger."

Weiss tried to press herself even further into the corner. "N-no," she stammered, "I don't want any injections. I won't throw anything else, I promise." She drew a deep, ragged breath, fighting to get her breathing under control. "I'd like to call my mother now if that's okay. She's my legal guardian, and very good at being calm in a crisis. I, I've never felt like this before, but I think I'm very scared, and I would really like to speak with my mother."

* * *

Hours later, Weiss was sitting in a private room upstairs, surrounded by a beeping symphony of monitors. In trying to figure out what was happening or had happened, she'd had tissue samples taken, fluids drawn, put through several full-body scans (the aura one twice). Some of the doctors had started to call for tests to be redone and samples retaken; Willow had taken one look at Weiss, noting her daughter's growing signs of anxiety, and declared that Enough Was Enough and that Weiss needed rest and probably something to eat, since lunch seemed to have been forgotten in all the excitement.

Now Willow sat next to Weiss's bed, watching as her daughter looked out at Atlas City with a look of… wonder, perhaps, on her face. "How do you feel, Weiss?"

Weiss frowned in concentration, trying to put her thoughts into words, but before she could really form an answer, another voice came from the doorway. "I do believe that's my line, Mrs. Schnee." Doctor Goodwitch stood in the doorway, a takeout cup of coffee clutched in one hand. "Sorry to take so long, I was out of town attending a memorial for an old friend." She sat in the unoccupied chair by Weiss's bed, pulling out her notebook. "But the question stands, Weiss. How do you feel, Weiss? Emotionally speaking, that is. Your mother said you described yourself as feeling scared, but I'd rather hear it from you. Use all the words you need to. If you aren't sure about the word for the feeling, try describing the feeling, and I'll see if I can find the word for you."

"I, I," Weiss swallowed and began again. "I go from one to another, I think. One moment, I feel this, this incredible lightness, I guess, over one thing or another. Looking at my mother, staring out the window, a random thought crossing my mind. That's something new, random thoughts. Like thinking of how my, well, apsychics really don't have 'friends', do we, but Cinder's as close as I get, I think, how she will react to this. And then I come crashing back down like there's a huge weight pressing down on me, a shiver runs down my body, my heart starts racing again, I start breathing hard. That, that's most of it, there's others but, that's most of it."

Goodwitch nodded. "That all makes sense. Like most apsychics, your emotional range has been very limited. The most you usually feel is annoyance, most often at having your routine disrupted, with the occasional outburst of rage. Positive emotions, like happiness, for example, are lost to you. That 'lightness' you describe is most likely happiness of one sort or another. How does the thought of having an aura, of being able to experience joy at the sight of something beautiful make you feel?"

A tidal wave of emotion swept over Weiss, and it took a moment for her to find the words. "Hap-happy, it makes me feel happy. But at the same time, I feel, maybe too happy?" She started to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand, Willow smiling as she passed Weiss the tissues. Weiss had been going through a lot of tissues today. "But at the same time, it makes me feel, um, scared, I think? These, these feelings, I'm, I'm having trouble with them. How, how do I turn them off, shove them aside?"

"It's called 'coping skills,' Weiss, and you'll learn them. Most people have a lifetime of experience dealing with their feelings; you're just getting a crash course. Appropriate ways to express happiness, anger, all the wonderful symphony of emotions that make us human. If you'll try smiling for me, I'll point out one way you're already different."

Weiss scowled at Goodwitch, then forced a smile on her face. "There? Happy?"

"Alright, three things. One, you were just sarcastic. I don't think you've ever been sarcastic before, have you?" Willow shook her head. Weiss hated sarcasm; it was one of the few things that annoyed her most. "Second, you just scowled at me. That's expressing an emotion. And third, the way you talk overall has changed. It's less, formal, less strict, and has more of a normal tone.

"Now let's talk about today's events. Start at, say, breakfast, and walk me through your day..."

* * *

"Excuse me?"

Blake looked over from where she'd been putting away coffee mugs. A middle-aged woman with white hair was waiting at the counter, smiling up at her. "Hi, I didn't hear you come in. Welcome to Beacon Coffee, what can I get you?"

"A large mocha, with whipped cream, to go, and a blueberry muffin. My daughter was in earlier today, and she didn't get to finish her coffee, so she asked me to smuggle them into the hospital for her."

Blake shook her head as she glanced at the baked goods case. "Sorry, all out of muffins, but I'll be glad to make up that mocha for you." Wait a minute… "Oh my god! Is she the one that passed out this morning? Is she okay? We called 911 right away, I swear!"

"She's doing… okay, I suppose. Her condition is stable, but the doctors are somewhat puzzled." Willow leaned back to see if there was anyone else in earshot before continuing. "Do you know what apsychia is?"

"Little to no aura, practically no emotions, right? I grew up next door to a boy with it. Why?" She crossed her arms. "Oh, your daughter is..."

"A high-functioning apsychic, yes. She's almost normal, to the point where she's legally allowed out of the house unsupervised. Weiss even went shopping by herself today."

Blake snapped her fingers. "Aha, that explains the abandoned shopping bags. They're in the office, I'll get them for you." She scurried back to their office, grabbing the bags and handing them over the counter to Willow before starting to make the mocha Weiss had asked for. "No charge on the coffee, by the way. Both of us were worried about her after this morning. I'm glad to hear she's doing okay."

"Well, that depends on your definition of 'okay,'" Willow said, shifting the bags on her lap. "When Weiss reached the hospital, she was showing an aura reading."

"That's impossible," Blake said, adding the whipped cream to the coffee. "One thing I do know about apsychia is that it's for life. No cure, no growing out of it. Cradle to grave. Here you go."

"Yes, that's what I've always been told," Willow said, smiling up at Blake. "But today, today my little girl became a medical miracle. So they're keeping her in the hospital tonight for monitoring and tests. Thankfully it's also a fully-staffed and equipped teaching and research hospital. I can't think of anywhere that would be better qualified to handle something like this. Can I get another one of those? I think I've got a long night ahead of me."


	3. Chapter 3

Weiss was sitting up in her hospital bed with her knees up against her chest, sobbing, when a bright, bubbly voice came from the door. "Hey, dry those eyes, princess. I brought coffee and muffins." The blonde woman from Beacon Coffee was standing there, a drink carrier in her hand and a brown paper bag tucked under the stump of her other arm. "Your name's Weiss, right? Are you okay, do I need to call somebody, maybe?"

She dragged the back of her hand across her eyes, not caring how undignified it looked right now. "No, I am fi—I'll be okay. One of the dubious benefits of... my current condition is mood swings, often triggered by memories. I was remembering the night my, my, I don't want to talk about it."

"Yeah, Blake called me last night after your mom stopped by. She said you've got apsychia, but now you've got an aura? Something like that?" Yang set down the coffee and the bag by Weiss's bed, scooting the visitor's chair closer before sitting down. "Man, talk about the best-worst day ever, all that crap hitting you at once."

"Last night I spent twenty minutes laughing uncontrollably over a joke someone told me when I was _nine,"_ Weiss said, choking back a laugh. "And now here I am, a mess over something that happened a decade ago."

"Well, you really didn't deal with it, I guess, until now. So, what's next? What happens? Anything I can do to help?" Yang reached out and tried to take Weiss's hand, only to have the white-haired girl jerk back. "Sorry, I forgot apsychics don't like to be touched. I did some reading last night after Blake told me about your mom's visit."

"It-it's okay," Weiss sniffled. "I, um, I think I'd really like to try a hug right now." Yang nodded and half-stood, wrapping her arm around Weiss.

Strange. Like Yang said, apsychics didn't usually like being touched, so Weiss had never had a hug that wasn't awkward and uncomfortable. She'd usually endured the ones she hadn't been able to avoid with as much good grace as she could muster, arms down by her side, fighting to keep her hands limp instead of letting them curl into claws or ball up into fists. Now though, now she hesitantly reached out and wrapped her own arms around Yang in return, inhaling deeply and drinking in the blonde woman's presence without thinking about it. The gesture was oddly calming and somehow exactly what she needed right now. They sat there for a few moments, neither of them saying a word until Yang cleared her throat. "Uh, Weiss, I know this is probably your first real hug and all, but there comes a point at which it's time to let go. And we've kinda passed it."

"S-Sorry," Weiss said, an unfamiliar warmth rising in her cheeks. Not wanting to let Yang see her face for some reason she couldn't have said, she turned her head to look at the view outside her window which was suddenly utterly fascinating.

"Don't be. You're dealing with a whole ton of crap, right?"

"Right," Weiss answered, smiling. She was starting to get used to smiling, and finding that she liked it.

"Well, it looks like you've made a friend, Weiss." Weiss's mother glided to a stop by the bed. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt, I was just stopping by to see how Weiss was doing this morning on my way to the office. I don't believe we've met, miss...?"

"Yang, Yang Xiao Long," Yang said, shaking Willow's hand.

"She works at the coffee shop I passed out in," Weiss added by way of introduction.

Yang snorted. "Work there? I'm one of the owners, me and Blake. Okay, my sister loaned us money to get started, but we're gonna pay her back! So swears Yang Xiao Long!" she added, pumping her fist in the air dramatically.

Willow laughed, bowing her head at Yang. "A small business owner then? I applaud your entrepreneurship; the world needs more people like you."

"It's Blake who did all the work getting it set up, really. I'm good with people, but the more business-y end of things, the paperwork and all, that's Blake's area of expertise." Yang shook her head. "She stresses a lot; I'm pretty sure she went through two packs of cigarettes after Weiss passed out yesterday, as much as Ruby keeps trying to get her to quit."

"Now, on to other matters..." Yang and Weiss both focused their attention on Willow, Yang's face taking on a serious look. "Miss Long-"

"Its Xiao Long, actually. Two words."

"Miss Xiao Long, then." Willow's voice took on a softer tone. "Last night your partner seemed worried about the repercussions of Weiss passing out yesterday. Please, let her know that I'm not planning on suing or any other nonsense. In fact, if anyone tries to sue you or shut you down because of what happened, let me know and I'll see you get sound legal representation. Yesterday was a cause for celebration, and I don't want to see you suffer for it." Yang sagged in relief; yesterday Blake had been kinda, well Blake didn't really do hysterical, but she'd been closer than Yang had ever seen her.

"Weiss, I spoke with one of the doctors on the way in. They want you to stay here for a few days to monitor you, see if they can get an idea of what's going on. Your aura levels are currently in the normal range and still rising, although the rate of increase has slowed."

"Awesome! You go, Weiss!" Yang cheered, jabbing Weiss in the shoulder.

Weiss rubbed at where Yang had hit her, a scowl on her face. "I'm… _annoyed_ I think is the word I want that no-one saw fit to inform _me_ of any of this."

Willow frowned. "I'll have a word with the hospital director before I leave. I will not have you kept in the dark about your condition; I didn't tolerate it before, well, _this_ , and I'm certainly not going to tolerate it now."

"Yeah, that's some industrial-grade bullshit there. I mean, why wouldn't they keep Weiss up to date on her own treatment?" Yang was scratching the back of her head, looking back and forth between Weiss and her mother.

"Because, legally speaking, an apsychic is and is not a person." Weiss's voice was barely a whisper. "Due to the 'demonstrated diminished mental capacity' apsychics usually display, we're not considered to legally be in our right minds."

Yang froze. "Dang, that's cold."

"'There are reasons. One case I remember clearly involved a house fire. An apsychic was a witness to the entire fire, and he didn't act. Didn't call the fire department, didn't rush in to help, didn't do anything but watch it burn. Afterward, he said he didn't realize he should do anything." Weiss stopped to wipe her eyes before reaching for her wallet on the table next to her bed. "So I have to carry this little card everywhere I go, for as long as I live," she finished, handing a little card to Yang.

Yang couldn't suppress a shiver as she read the card. It stated that the bearer, one Weiss Schnee, was a category two apsychic, and allowed to move about unsupervised, but if her behavior became a danger to herself or others, reasonable measures were allowed to detain her. It also gave her mother's name, address, and phone number in case of emergencies. "'Reasonable measures,' huh? Not like that could be abused or anything."

"Last year an apsychic man in Vale was kicked to death for staring at a teenage girl long enough her older brother decided it was 'creepy,'" Willow said. "No charges were brought against the brother. Many crimes against apsychics are justified this way. So it's a risk, letting Weiss leave the house, but I refuse to keep her locked away. She's not a monster, not like-" Willow bit her lip, rather than continue. No need to reopen old wounds.

Yang snapped her fingers. Time to shift the gears on this conversation. "So, a couple more days and you're out of here, huh? A piece of cake. Bet your friends are missing you something bad."

"Apsychics don't really have 'friends,'" Weiss said softly, her hands balling into fists as she could feel tears welling in her eyes again. "We just… we have people who annoy us less, usually family or other apsychics that are about as 'normal' as we are." Weiss's mind turned to Cinder. For some reason, she found the idea of seeing Cinder again… uncomfortable.

"Well, now you've got me. So plus one friend, win, right? And I'm pretty sure Blake and Ruby will like you too, once you meet them."

Weiss had to admit Yang's smile was infectious. "Alright, plus one friend."

* * *

Weiss looked at herself in the mirror, smoothing out the skirt of her dress. "Is everything all right, Weiss?" her mother's voice came from outside the door.

"Everything is fi-no, everything is _not_ fine." One thing Weiss was fighting hard to overcome was the reflex to always say things were 'fine' even when they weren't. She needed to be more honest and open with the doctors and other people around her. She stepped out of the bathroom, eyes fixed firmly on the floor. "I… I don't think I like this dress, not anymore."

Willow leaned back, her arms crossed. "That is, or was, one of your favorite dresses, Weiss."

Doctor Goodwitch shrugged. "I expect we'll see a lot of changes like this for a while. Your personality is, well, rebuilding itself on a regular basis to handle your changed mental state."

"So I get, what's the phrase I want, an identity crisis every day? Wonderful," Weiss said with a sigh."

"It's not that simple, Weiss." Goodwitch tapped her teeth with her pen. "Everyone's shaped by their experiences, even apsychics. Now your subconscious is re-evaluating, well, _everything_. You wore similar clothes every day because it was less annoying than choosing something new to wear every day, ate the same thing for breakfast every day. Your life was built on routine because that was easier to handle. Remember yesterday, when they brought you pancakes for breakfast? That was something of an experience, wasn't it?"

Weiss nodded as she turned her head to one side, trying to hide her embarrassment. Yesterday morning her breakfast had included pancakes, something she hadn't eaten before. Weiss had practically wallowed in the fluffy treats, wolfing them down and ending up with syrup and bits of pancake down the front of her hospital gown. Her mother had laughed at the sight, Yang reaching out to gently wipe Weiss's cheek with a napkin while she tried not to laugh at Weiss's embarrassment. "I suppose, although I would rather not embarrass myself quite that badly again."

Now Goodwitch laid a hand on Weiss's shoulder, the white-haired girl still flinching a little at the contact. "Weiss, listen to me: _You will be fine._ The human psyche is an adaptable, resilient thing, yours included. Yes, there will be highs and lows, and changes in, well, almost every aspect of your life. This is to be expected. Whatever happened to you has given you a new lease on life, and every piece of advice I can think of to give you can be summed up in a single word: Live. Go forth and be Weiss Schnee, whoever that turns out to be."

"The lady said it, Weiss. Now let's get out of here. We promised Blake you'd stop by the shop on your way home so she could see you're doing okay." Yang laughed. "She's still waiting for your mom to sue us out of existence. Might even get to meet my sister, if she's not too busy today."

Weiss smiled for a moment. Yang's daily visits (sometimes more than once a day) had been the highlights of her day for the past week. Test upon test, interviews with psychologists and psychiatrists, it had all been so much. But Yang had a way of taking that stress and helping Weiss process things, break them down into more manageable pieces. "Let's get going, then."

As they rode the elevator down to the lobby, Weiss was glad all three of them were with her. Doctor Goodwitch had helped her fend off the worst of the psychiatrists, who had come up with some… rather personal and disturbing questions to ask. Her mother had obviously been a huge source of support in all respects. Willow Schnee hated raising her voice, firmly believing that if she'd done so, she had somehow failed. In the past week, Weiss's mother had done more shouting and outright screaming than Weiss could ever remember her doing, firmly insisting that Weiss be kept firmly in the loop regarding her own treatment.

And Yang… In the space of a week, Yang had gone from being a friendly stranger to being a true friend, the first of many, Weiss hoped. She stole a glance at the blonde woman, who was busily tapping away one-handed at her phone. Yang had gone through a life-changing event similar to Weiss', only in her case something had been taken instead of given. Maybe Yang was her best guide in how to handle something like this.

The elevator doors slid open, and the four of them headed for the hospital entrance. One of the orderlies noticed Weiss and started clapping. Soon all the staff in the lobby were applauding, and some of the patients as well, as the staff filled them in. Word had quickly leaked out about the apsychic girl who suddenly had an aura, and only the hospital's ironclad commitment to patient privacy had kept Weiss from being besieged by the press. Weiss and her mother had agreed to a press release admitting that an apsychic woman had suddenly developed an aura, and the hospital was trying to determine how it had happened. A press conference had also been agreed to, but Willow had been firm about giving Weiss a few days at home first.

A security guard stepped in Weiss' way. "Ma'am, I've been ordered not to let you leave."

"And why not?" Willow snapped. "I am her legal guardian, and I am taking her home."

"Yeah, peaches. I don't need both arms to lay you out," Yang growled, her hand forming into a fist.

"I don't know, ma'am. The order came from Doctor Keats, and we're supposed to wait for him."

"This is ridiculous. I have had enough of this hospital, and I am going home!" Weiss tried to dodge around him, only to find the woman's partner flanking her.

"Either one of you lays a finger on her it's gonna be a good thing we're already at the hospital," Yang said quietly, stepping up to Weiss's left.

"There's no need for threats, young lady." Doctor Keats hurried up, straightening his tie. "I just got a phone call from the court. The hospital has now been named Weiss' legal guardian, and as such, we'd rather she remain here, at the hospital, where we can care for her properly."

"This is nonsense! How can you be named her legal guardian without her current guardian being informed? We'll see how long this lasts in front of a judge. And I refuse to believe the hospital director agreed to this, either!" Willow shouted, slamming her arms down on her armrests.

"Yeah, I'm waving the bullshit flag on this too. Weiss is a person, not a lab rat, and she wants to go home," Yang added, her hand on her hip.

* * *

"Well, this does seem highly irregular," the judge said, frowning as he read the papers before him. "Firstly, no-one informed Miss Schnee's current guardian about the hospital choosing to contest the guardianship. Second, I find Doctor Keats' assertion that her condition requires round-the-clock monitoring and care flimsy at best. From what I see here, and what I hear from Doctor Goodwitch, who has been Weiss's psychiatrist for over a decade, as well as the testimony of other doctors on your own hospital staff, Weiss's condition is currently stable. She has also agreed to wear an aura monitor, and to regular checkups as well as a reasonable number of tests. Then there's the fact that you sought guardianship of Miss Schnee without informing the hospital director, although you gave the hospital's legal staff the impression that you had done so." The judge leaned back in his chair. "Frankly, Doctor Keats, this all smells worse than my newest granddaughter's diapers. If I was you, I'd be worried about my job."

Weiss fought to keep a smile off her face as she heard a snort from behind her. _No shit,_ as Yang would put it, a rather short and pungent phrase the blonde had introduced her to.

Keats frowned. "Your honor, what we have here is a priceless opportunity. If we can figure out what happened to Miss Schnee to make her suddenly manifest an aura, we can-"

"-possibly devise a cure for the other thousands of people across Remnant who suffer from apsychia, I heard you the first twelve times." The judge sighed. "In all this legal wrangling, there's one person whose voice hasn't been heard enough, I think. Miss Schnee, Weiss, what do you want? If your apsychia has indeed been 'cured' somehow, the issue of your legal rights is going to have to be addressed eventually, and I intend to set precedent on that matter now."

Weiss stood, drawing on a meditation technique Yang had taught her to calm herself. "Your honor, I would like to go home. I don't mind being studied, to a point. I, I like the idea of whatever happened to me being studied to help others. But I don't want to be a prisoner or a laboratory animal. And I don't I want Doctor Keats having anything to do with my treatment anymore."

Behind her, the hospital director spoke up. "I don't think that last point is going to be an issue, your honor. I've already placed Doctor Keats on suspension, and I'll be meeting with our governing board to discuss other actions that may be taken. On behalf of the hospital, I'd like to offer my apologies to Miss Schnee and her family for any suffering Doctor Keats may have caused. He most definitely did not discuss this with me before taking steps to secure guardianship of Miss Schnee, and I do not support his actions."


End file.
